The times I regained my weight loss, it was due to me not regularly exercising. I definitely exercise.

Yes I get regular exercise,Its very important to maintain a weight loss.In my experience, everytime I stopped exercising I gain the weight back .I find it hard to keep the weight down without regular exercise

I exercise to burn a few extra calories and maintain muscle mass, bone density and heart health all of which are sort of important. But it's my opinion that while a useful adjunct to maintenance, it doesn't carry the same importance as attention to diet. I know very well it doesn't work out well at all to shirk either one. I've found it nigh impossible to exercise my way out of a sub-par diet - and I really tried!

I think maybe also, exercise helps incorporate a culture of fitness into my life that helps with general compliance. I see myself as a person with healthy habits. That helps exclude some behaviors that might not serve me as well.

Yes, I agree with this. I also find that regular exercise keeps stress at bay and is conducive to good quality sleep, both of which seem to stop me eating too much. That is, I tend to use food to get through what I have to do each day when stress and lack of sleep loom large in my world.

Absolutely. Part of my reason for dropping the 171 lbs was my bad congenital narrowing of the spinal canal, which contributed to premature disc bulges in my lumbar region. It was so bad once that I couldn't walk. I won't ever let that happen again, and now that I can walk, I walk, and walk, and swim, and dance, and elliptical lol. It's part of a mental fitness too.